In TH White’s The Sword and the Stone, the first part of a series of novels that make up The Once and Future King, the story of King Arthur, the future King Arthur is as far from kingly as one might get. He is a young boy, an adopted orphan named Art, whose adopted brother Kay and everyone around him calls “Wart.” A boy named Wart is our atypical hero, who will one day rule the fictional and glorious kingdom of Camelot. Stories set in the Medieval Ages like this one feature castles, knights, fights, swords, and pretty women for whom said knights can be chivalrous towards. These kind of elements allow for morality based on loyalty, honor, chivalry, and courage. However, do they allow for humility? Empathy? Wisdom? Kindness? Wart, our dear young friend, sets the tone of the entirety of The Once and Future King by being a young, meek, and compassionate boy under the care of the wizard Merlin, who prophesies of Wart’s greatness, even if his brother Kay seems like the more likely pick. The impactful morality of this story is one that has deep ties to Christianity as well: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the Earth.”
The story is told in a series of tales. The book itself is probably beyond the reading level of any child, but the stories are memorable and accessible for children. Disney thought so to, hence the animated adaptation of this novel, which pretty closely follows the tales in the book of Wart and Merlin. Each tale has its own moral and all together present a morality counter to the typical ethics portrayed in Medieval tales. The first tale sets this precedent. In it, Wart and Kay decide to take one of the hawks, Cully, out for some hunting. Impulsive and boarish Kay decides to release Cully before the appropriate time, and the hawk’s release is unsuccessful, getting him stuck in a tree, feeling too unsafe to return to the boys. Frustrated, Kay storms off, leaving Wart, who stays because he is concerned for Hob, who had spent so much time raising and training the Hawk. “When Cully was lost a part of Hob would be lost too,” the Wart realizes. Kay, who calls Hob “only a villein anyway,” cares only for his sport and immediate enjoyment. Wart empathizes with the frightened Cully and the dedicated Hob. In his decision to try and recover the Hawk, he becomes lost and scared himself until he encounters a very old knight, who is on a quest for the “Questing Beast” a most likely imaginary animal who continues to elude the old knight. The juxtaposition of Wart’s personal quest and the arbitrary quest of the old knight is the same between the traditional Medieval morality tale and this one. Ultimately, Wart is rewarded for his choice to do good because it is through his experience in the woods that he meets Merlin, the wizard who helps him realize his destiny. Merlin fosters Wart’s natural sense of curiosity, compassion, and wisdom by becoming his tutor and using the untraditional method of transfiguration. As he strengthens these traits, he becomes closer to the moment where he pulls the sword from the stone and transforms from Wart to King Arthur.
The story of a child who can do what an adult cannot is common and appealing to kids, but instead of portraying adults as idiots The Sword and the Stone merely highlights the natural qualities of children which are valued within Christian morality. Sir Ector is often kind, Merlin is wise, and the old knight is honorable, but it is the lowly and meek Wart who “inherits the Earth.” The Sword and the Stone is a crucial work for children ages 1-100 as we shape our personal moralities.
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